Friends at the Community Center
Imagine a story where two childhood friends lose touch but serendipitously reunite while volunteering at a community center in a city far from their hometown. Explore their rediscovery of each other and how they bridge the gap between their past and present.
Suggested length: A short story: 1,500 to 5,000 words, or flash fiction under 1,000
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Make the obstacle something they both believe in, not a misunderstanding.
- Put them in close quarters they can't escape.
- Tell it from the point of view of the one who falls first.
Writing romance books
Not whether they end up together, but how.
Romance puts a love story at the center and promises a happy ending: happily ever after, or at least happy for now. Readers know where it's going. The pleasure is in the obstacles, the banter and the moment the two leads finally stop fighting it.
What readers expect
- Two leads the reader roots for
- Obstacles that keep them apart
- Emotional growth, not just attraction
- A happy ending, guaranteed
A tip before you start
The happy ending isn't optional. Without it you've written a love story, and romance readers will tell you so.
More Contemporary Love Story prompts
- Notes from the Dog ParkWrite a story about two people who meet at a dog park every day, each unaware that their dogs have been swapping notes between them. They start to…
- The Dogs at the ParkWrite a story about two people who meet at a dog park every morning. Though they've never spoken, they've noticed each other because their…
- Rivals at the Espresso BarWrite a story about two rival baristas at a popular coffee shop who unintentionally fall in love over their shared passion for creating the perfect…
- Coffee After the WeddingTwo strangers at a wedding bond over their mutual dislike of overly extravagant ceremonies. They decide to duck out early and find themselves at a…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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